Euphorbia milii plant named &#39;dinos&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia milii  plant named ‘Dinos’, characterized by its yellow-green floral bract color from RHS 145C, with diffuse margins of RHS 36A light red to RHS 155A white; compact plant form; very dense and bushy plant form; vigorous growth habit; larger flowers on thick gray-green peduncles, RHS 195A.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Euphorbia milii Desmoul.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

Dinos

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia milii plant, botanically known as Euphorbia milii Desmoul., commonly known by the name Crown of Thorns, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dinos’.

The new Euphorbia milii is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor, Steen Thomsen, in Haarslev, Fyn, Denmark. The new Euphorbia milii originated from a polycross made in 2001 by the Inventor with unnamed cultivars of Euphorbia milii Desmoul. The male and female parental cultivars are unnamed, unpatented seedlings of Euphorbia milii Desmoul.. The Inventor selected the new Euphorbia milii cultivar from the progeny of the above crossing in 2001 on the basis of flower color and compact, freely branching habit. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii are more upright, compact and have a unique color and abundant large flowers.

A sexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken and propagated and trial production batches in Denmark, has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia milii are stable and reproduced true to type in many successive generations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Dinos’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dinos’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dinos’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   1. Yellow-green floral bract color from RHS 145C, with diffuse     margins of RHS 36A light red to RHS 155A white. -   2. Very dense and bushy plant form. -   3. Vigorous growth habit. -   4. Larger flowers on thick gray-green peduncles, RHS 195A Plants of     the cultivar ‘Dinos’ can be compared to plants of the cultivar     Euphorbia milii. ‘Themis’. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by     the Inventor in Haarslev, Denmark, plants of the cultivar ‘Dinos’     and the cultivar ‘Themis’ differ in the following characteristics: -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have striking yellow-green     floral bracts and staminate cyathia with yellow red-margined glands. -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have larger dark green leaves. -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have shorter and stiffer     peduncles than plants of the cultivar ‘Themis’. -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii are more compact than the     plants of the cultivar ‘Themis’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance and details of flower form, color and structures of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in color reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which more accurately describe the actual colors of the new Euphorbia milii.

The photograph shows a side view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dinos’, as grown in an 11 cm pot.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 4^(th) edition, where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions. Plants used for this description were grown for about 19 weeks after cutting and produced in 11 cm pots. Other pot sizes can be used and the plants are intended for indoor use or as a bedding plant in temperate climates although it is a perennial garden plant in tropical and subtropical areas.

-   -   -   Botanical classification.—Euphorbia milii Desmoul. cultivar             ‘Dinos’. Euphorbiaceae, Spurge family.

-   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed seedling plant of Euphorbia milii.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed seedling plant of Euphorbia milii.

-   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings taken from plants             kept in the vegetative stage by shading and high             temperatures (25C).         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 18 to 21 C in             tunnels in a greenhouse.         -   Root description.—Fine, well branched.

-   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial plant with upright plant habit. Euphorbia             milii ‘Dinos’ flowers in cymes with cyathia subtended by             colored bracts. Freely branching with about 8 lateral             flowering branches forming at every node; dense and bushy.             Stems are square to pentagonal with ridges—about 10 mm thick             at the base. By each node appears groups of thorns: 1 large             7 mm and 2-4 smaller 3-5 mm. Young thorns are green: 145A;             while the older ones becomes stiffer and changes color to             gray (201B).         -   Crop time.—After rooting, about 19 weeks are required to             produce finished flowering plants in 11 cm pots.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of plant plane).—About             13 cm. Width: 20 cm.         -   Vigor.—Vigorous growth rate.         -   Foliage description.—Leaves alternate, single, obovate,             entire, craspedromous venation. Length: 8.5 cm. Width: About             35 mm. Apex: acute. Base: cuneate to almost decussatee             Texture: smooth, waxy, dull, glabrous. Color: Young foliage,             upper and lower surfaces: 138A and 148C, yellow- green.             Mature foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 139C and 138A             respectively. Venation, 139B.

-   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Floral arrangements composed             of cymes. The flowers (cyathia) are starkly reduced so only             a gland and the reproductive organs are present. Subtending             the cyathia are two colored bracts. The flowers are further             complicated by the unique feature of funnel shaped floral             buds appearing at the base of the bracts in two or more             layers.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous throughout the spring             and summer in subtropical and tropical regions. In colder             climates season can be extended by greenhouse production             with high temperatures and supplementary irradiance.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Longevity of individual             flowers is highly dependent on temperature and light             conditions 5 to 9 weeks. Bracts turn green with age. Entire             cymes drop after withering.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3×6 cm, height: 8 cm.         -   Flowers.—4 mm diameter, Bracts: overlapping at base, ovoid             to inverted cordate 2×3 cm; color from 145C, yellow-green to             155A, white with margins of 36A, light red.         -   Glands.—5, from 5A shiny yellow with a thin margin of 30A,             red to 22A yellow-orange during development.         -   Anthers.—Appear after flowers mature; stamen and pollen             color 15A, yellow-orange, Pistil and stigma, Appear before             cyathia mature; color 1D, greenish-yellow.         -   Peduncle.—Strength: strong. Length: About 5-7 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Color: 195A, gray-green at an angle of 30°.         -   Pedicels.—2 cm long, 2 mm thick; strong; color: 144B,             yellow-green.         -   Weather tolerance.—Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have             exhibited good tolerance to draught, rain and wind, however             flowering may cease during cold and dark periods (<15C).         -   Pest tolerance.—Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have             exhibited good tolerance to following fungi: Mildew, and             Thivaliopsis. Also, they appear to be less infected by             Thrips (Franklinellea). 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia milii plant named ‘Dinos’, as illustrated and described herein. 